Bray v.¹

Also 4–7 brai(e, braye. [ME. braie, braye, a. F. brai-re (11th c. in Littré) ‘to cry’ (now only of the ass), = Pr. braire to cry, Rumansch bragir, med.L. bragire (Diez): perh. of Celtic origin, f. a stem brag- cogn. with L. fragor; cf. Ir. braigim ‘pedo’ (Thurneysen). The original sense would thus be ‘to make a crackling, grating, or jarring noise.’]

  † 1.  intr. To cry out, to utter a loud harsh cry; esp. of grief or pain. Obs.

a. 1300.  Cursor M., 22607. He sal here it [heaven] cri to wonder, bath cri and brai for dute and drede.

1413.  Lydgate, Pylgr. Sowle, II. xliv. (1859), 50. Now, wepeth, yellyth, cryeth, brayeth, as besyly as ye can.

1502.  Ord. Crysten Men, V. ii. (1506), 358. For to cry & to braye in wepynge & in playnynge.

1513.  Douglas, Æneis, I. v. 120. The horrible tirrant with bludy mouth sall bray.

1552.  Huloet, Bray or cry lamentably.

1596.  Spenser, F. Q., I. viii. 11. The Gyant … loudly brayd with beastly yelling sound.

1613.  R. C., Table Alph. (ed. 3), Exclaime, bray, or cry out.

  b.  predicated of the cry.

1596.  Spenser, F. Q., I. vi. 7. Her shrill outcryes and shrieks so loud did bray.

  2.  Of animals: formerly the cry of horses, oxen, deer, etc.; now chiefly used of the ass.

c. 1380.  Sir Ferumb., 3669. Þat hors … faste gan neye and loud braye.

1393.  Gower, Conf., I. 144. And though him lacke vois of speche … He [Nebuchadnezzar] kneleth in his wise and braieth To seche mercy.

1481.  Caxton, Myrr., II. vi. 77. Thenne he [an elephant] begynneth for to braye, crye and waylle.

1534.  Ld. Berners, Gold. Bk. M. Aurel. (1540), Q. There is not so croked a hors, but yf he see a mare, he wille braie ones or twise.

1560.  Bible (Geneva), Ps. xlii. 1. As the Hart brayeth for the riuers of water [cf. 1611 marg.].

1614.  Raleigh, Hist. World, III. iv. § 4. The first Horse that brayed.

1633.  P. Fletcher, Purple Isl., I. xvii. What cares an asse for arts: he brayes at sacred Muses.

1697.  Dryden, Virg. Georg., III. 575. Stags … pitifully bray.

1715.  Gay, Trivia, II. 13 (R.).

1726.  Thomson, Winter, 824. As … they [deer] … piteous bray.

1877.  A. B. Edwards, Up Nile, iv. 91. The donkey kicks up his heels and brays.

  b.  contemptuously of the human voice.

1635.  A. Stafford, Fem. Glory (1869), 90. Hee vehemently braies out against my Rhetoricall flowers.

1642.  H. More, Song of Soul, I. II. cxxxii. Did deeply sigh, and rudely rough did bray Gainst Leontopolis.

1692.  Washington, trans. Milton’s Def. Pop., v. (1851), 159. None ever brayed so learnedly.

1876.  Blackie, Songs Relig. & Life, 229. With fervid wheels pursue, Though thousands bray around thee.

  3.  transf. Of wind, thunder, musical instruments, etc. (now esp. of the trumpet): To make a loud harsh jarring sound.

1340.  Ayenb., 73. Þer þou sselt yzy … ver bernynde, brenston stinkinde, tempeste brayinde.

1485.  Caxton, Chas. Gt. (1880), 165. A ryuer … whyche … renneth so fast and brayeth.

1570.  B. Googe, Pop. Kingd., III. 928. Till in the loftie heauens darke, the thunder bray no more.

1695.  Blackmore, Pr. Arthur, VIII. 375. Swords clash with Swords, Bucklers on Bucklers bray.

1757.  Gray, Bard, II. iii. Heard ye the din of battle bray?

1805.  Scott, Last Minstrel, I. vi. They watch to hear the war-horn braying.

1812.  J. & H. Smith, Rej. Addr., xvii. (1873), 162. Brays the loud trumpet, squeaks the fiddle sharp.

1852.  Seidel, Organ, 180. The reed-registers must not rattle or bray.

1872.  Blackie, Lays Highl., 79. Little reck they, how the storm may bray.

  b.  Of a place: To resound in like manner.

1607.  Shaks., Timon, II. ii. 169. Euery roome Hath blaz’d with Lights, and braid with Minstrelsie.

1728.  Pope, Dunciad, II. 260. Walls, steeples, skies bray back to him again.

  4.  trans. To utter harshly (cries, sounds, etc.). Often with out.

c. 1325.  E. E. Allit. P., A. 346. Braundysch & bray þy braþez breme.

1531.  Elyot, Gov., II. vi. Roryng and braiying out wordes despyteful.

1579.  Fulke, Heskins’ Parl., 4. What asse of Acarnania wold braye out suche a reason?

1588.  Greene, Pandosto (1843), 23. Pandosto … in a fury brayed out these bitter speeches.

1602.  Shaks., Ham., I. iv. 11. The kettle Drum and Trumpet thus bray out The triumph of his Pledge.

1667.  Milton, P. L., VI. 209. Arms on Armour clashing bray’d Horrible discord.

1854.  Thackeray, Newcomes, II. 286. His men of brass … who were accustomed to bray ‘See the Conquering Hero comes.’

1860.  Sat. Rev., X. 421. A Brass band brayed welcome at the terminus.

  b.  To give forth with a cry or bray.

1567.  Studley, Seneca’s Hippol. (1581), 56. Where Zephyrus most milde Out brayes his baumy breath.

1596.  Spenser, F. Q., II. i. 38. As gentle hynd … Braies out her latest breath.